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One-liner

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 22:36:05 GMT

Kathy Griffin, from Lewis Black's History of the Joke: "Oh, I have a joke! Once there was a little girl with red hair and freckles, and she went to school, where all the other children tormented her....oh I guess that wasn't really a joke; it was my childhood."

OMG mine too! rotfl

linkbomb

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 23:34:06 GMT

http://www.computerpowertest.com

Thank you, that is all

Eat your heart out, Mattbear :p

Sat, 01 Aug 2009 00:40:53 GMT

Eeeeenteresting...when I am less depressed, I tend to align 'chaotic good'. Well, here's to benign apathy; it could always be worse.

True Neutral

You are The Druid; True Neutral.

You scored 44% Lawful and 52% Good, which makes you True Neutral.

Chaotic-Lawful is the ethical scale, on which you scored 44%, where 0% is utter chaos and 100% is total cosmos.

This Lawful scale doesn't necessarily judge how committed to the system you are, even though one could guess so from the name since the system usually holds the law, but instead it means how sorted internally you are, and how likely it is for you to choose cosmos over chaos.

You are neutral, and are as such an individual who either doesn't mind one over the other of chaos and stillness, or can go both ways depending on how you feel. You don't necessarily follow laws that blindly, and you don't act too randomly.

The Evil-Good scale is quite easily figured out, being the morale scale, and on this you scored 52%, where 0% is totally evil and 100% is completely good.

Now, evil here on this scale doesn't necessarily mean you're out to make people suffer. It means ego-centering and glorification of one's ego. You, as neutral, don’t make your actions based on a selfless vs selfish basis, but rather what you have judged to be the right thing to do for other reasons.

A farmer whose primary overriding concern is to feed his family is of this alignment. Most animals, lacking the capacity for moral judgement, are of this alignment. Some neutral characters, rather than feeling undecided, are committed to a balance between the alignments. They may see good, evil, law and chaos as simply prejudices and dangerous extremes.

Take Test yourself: What alignment are you? at HelloQuizzy

More political BS - hrm, seems to be a trend. Is this what being an adult is like? Anyhoo:

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 02:02:09 GMT

Healthcare. Need I say more? Seriously, something needs to be done, and I really don't see how any of the so-called 'plans' are addressing the inherent self-defeating inefficiencies of our current system. I'm not even talking about insurance coverage for all - that's not even the tip of the iceburg. That's just a very fucking cold seagull perched on top of the tip of the iceburg.

Case in point: me. Some anecdotal evidence, submitted for your consideration: Last year I encountered some health problems and had to take a leave of absence from work. Yes I realize I'm lucky to have insurance that provides for such scenarios. However, let's try not to focus on the seagull. Actually while we're on the subject...I don't consider my coverage 'lucky' anyway - I made a concious decision in my place of employment, partially because of the benefits, and I worked hard to attain my job, so I'm not sure that quite qualifies as luck.

ANYWAY, enough about the blasted seagull, here's the raw deal: my doctor referred me to a specialist. Okay, no problem, that happens all the time, but here's the kicker - when she contacted this specialist and discussed my case with him, the specialist apparently thought it was urgent enough that I see him that a couple of days later (this was in early October) I received a call from his office indicating they had been expecting to hear from me for an appointment, and it was important that the doctor see me. Wow, I thought, untill they proceeded to tell me that they had an open appointment coming up in mid-December I could have. WHAT?? It's urgent enough that YOU call ME for an appointment, but not urgent until fucking DECEMBER??? Double-u. Tee. Eff. In the meanwhile, another doc of mine had also given me a list of specialists in the same area and I was able to get an appointment the following week with one of them.

Fast-forward to two weeks ago. I somehow managed to injur my foot - it swelled up like a sausage with toes, hurt to walk, the works. I spent the weekend icing and elevating it; since gymnastics as a kid, I'm no stranger to sprains and strains. When it was still crazy swollen on Monday, I thought it time to see the doctor to make sure it wasn't broken. I was able to get a same-day appointment with my preferred provider who examined it, took some X-rays, and declared there was no visible fracture. She recommended I continue with the ice and elevation for a few more days, take it easy on the foot, and take 500mg of naproxin for the swelling/pain. If there was no improvement, I could come back in. I spent the rest of the week doing just that with no effect. Well, actually after two days of the naproxin had no effect on either the swelling or the pain, I stopped taking it 'cause I enjoy having a healthy liver. When over a week had passed with zero improvement, I went back to see the doc this past Monday. This time she ordered an MRI, which I fortunately was able to get an appointment for that same day, 'cause they apparently only do them on Mondays and Fridays. My doctor called me later that day with the results of the MRI - again, no visible fracture, and no obvious soft-tissue damage. Again I find myself referred to a specialist. She said she would have their office contact a sports-medicine podiatrist to call me and set up an appointment. Later that afternoon when they call back, they inform me that they will not have a podiatrist available at their Issaquah location (my primary) until mid august, but they can call me back then to set up an appointment. Apparently the fact that I have an undiagnosed injury that is causing pain and impeding my mobility was lost on them. Uhm...does it not seem somewhat abnormal for an appendage to be this swollen for this long, and therefore somewhat important that I see someone sooner than 2 weeks from now? How about at your Bellevue location, I ask them. Nope, no podiatrist there, either. All that's left is the Seattle location (inconvenient under normal circumstances, let alone when the foot I need to DRIVE is injured). Even there, the soonest I could get an appointment was Friday. In the meanwhile I am just hoping that lack of appropriate treatment is not leading to long-term damage to my foot and/or ankle (my primary doc gave me a walking boot on Monday, but after two days of hobbling around the office in that instead of barefoot or in comfy shoes, the pain and swelling was actually worse since the velcro straps put pressure on the exact places that hurt, no matter how I adjusted them).

This concerns me because it's happened before - about 6 years ago, at burning man, I tripped over a hole in the playa, hurt my big toe and the ball of my foot, never got treatment for it 'cause it seemed minor (and besides I have experience with strains and sprains), but it still hurts to this day. (And no, the current injury isn't related to that one - that was the other foot.) I did have it looked at and even x-rayed a couple years ago, to no avail - nothing visibly wrong. Perhaps, while I have the podiatrist's attention on Friday, I'll ask him about that, too. That is, if they'll let me. Many doctors have a strict one-issue-per-visit policy.

But yeah - therein lies the root of the problem with our existing healthcare system. It's designed not to provide the best possible care, but to make the maximum amount of money. Only when we can somehow address that will it become worthwhile to start providing insurance to everyone, through whatever means.

OMG, aka ANNOUNCEMENT!

Sun, 22 Mar 2009 15:23:58 GMT

One of my paintings was selected to be part of the MS Employee Art Exhibit, which will be open to the public, at the new Commons on campus!! I am indescribably excited, 'cause there are going to be events where various local curators/collectors and other movers and shakers in the local art world will be present, so this could potentially open some doors for me as an artist. Also, I get to note in my portfolio that I've been shown in a juried exhibition.

Since this news broke, I've shown around a picture of the painting I submitted for the exhibit, Torn, and many people have expressed interest in seeing my other work, so at long last I've put together an online painting portfolio, here: http://taaminara.tripod.com/paint/index.html.

The Answer

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 16:08:38 GMT

In case you've been living under a rock, McCain has announced his running mate - Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska. At long last we are about to discover the answer to an age-old question. No, it's not whether the chicken or the egg came first, or whether or not it's still funny if a fat chick falls in the forest and no one's around to laugh, but rather, this: what is more important to god-fearing conservatives...being white, or being male?

Join us in November for the answer!

This was more fun than you would initially think

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 01:09:51 GMT

This is all about building a collage by answering the questions below using pictures.

1. Type your answer to each of the questions below into your image-specific search engine of choice
2. Using only the first page of results, pick one image. You can’t search forever for a certain image.
3. Copy and paste each into just about any graphics/drawing program. I used Jasc's formerly excellent product, Paint Shop Pro 8 (back when it was still excellent), but Paint works too.

The questions:

1. What is your first name? Elizabeth
2. What is your favourite food? avocado
3. What high school/University did you go to? BCC
4. What is your favourite colour? green
5. Who is your celebrity crush? don't have one
6. What is your favourite drink? amareto sour
7. What is your dream vacation? Japan
8. What is your favourite dessert? pumpkin pie
9. What do you want to be when you grow up? retired
10. What do you love most in life? making stuff
11. What is one word that describes you? creative
12. What is your blog name? What the blog?

Outta nowhere....

Wed, 21 May 2008 01:37:08 GMT

My roommate and I once: put a bowl of (unopened) canned fruit on the coffee table as a conversation piece

Never in my life have I: been to China. Damnit.

High school was: traumatic

When I am nervous I: talk too much and make bad jokes. Oh wait, I do that anyway. Well, it gets worse if I am nervous.

My hair is: its own entity

When I was 5: I ran free in the forest

By this time next year: I'll be in better shape

I have a hard time understanding: republicans

You know I like you if: I make stuff for you

My ideal breakfast is: made by somebody else

If you visit my hometown: you will still be nowhere near where I actually grew up

If you spend the night at my house: I probably had to confiscate your car keys

My favorite blonde is: I don't like blondes

My favorite brunette is: uhm...duh

The animal I would like to see flying is: Cows.

I shouldn’t: doubt myself

Last night I: did a whole lotta nothing

If I could have any car it would be: an Audi TT

I’ve been told I look like: Janice Joplin, just about everyone in Ireland (err, well, technically someone once told me that everyone in Ireland looks exactly like me - not sure if that's quite the same), and my mom.

just try

Sat, 10 Mar 2007 19:38:49 GMT

...to hide your shock - I have just purchased an Xbox...and a flat panel TV. *gasp*

Hey, neat!

Sun, 18 Feb 2007 22:14:28 GMT

http://www.gaisma.com/en/location/seattle-washington.html

Just one week 'til the sun is up before 7am!! Yay!

Thu, 18 Jan 2007 02:19:41 GMT

Round two, complete. Two rounds to go. Wish me luck!

Snowrun - two posts for the price of one! hehe

Mon, 15 Jan 2007 01:45:33 GMT

Yesterday I woke up to more snow falling from the surprized Seattle skies. I apparently have the world's best timing, for upon asking the barista how long it had been snowing, I learned that it had only started about 10 minutes before I emerged from the warm womb of my bed. (For those who know what time it started - *shush* it was saturday; I'm allowed, lol). Cabin fever was beginning to set in, for though I had ventured out somewhat, I did not feel comfy doing so after dark, when temperatures drop and things start to re-freeze, and once the sun skips out for the night, I feel basically trapped at home. So, I took the remaining good hours of daylight, grabbed my camera, and ventured out into the snow, taking all the back roads. The snowfall was steady, and heavier the nearer I got to Issaquah, so going was slow. I looped out SR900 to May Valley and stopped on that little road that hooks back up to SE128th the name of which I can never remember. I had taken some nice shots there before, in the fall when the trees were changing. May Valley Road was not bad, all in all. I went all the way to Issaquah-Hobart, and headed North. I stopped by the field where paragliders land in the summer and shot some more frames, but it's hard to focus through heavy snowfall. I circled through the 'Quah and headed back SR900 to the Cougar Mountain trail head. I found a pair of gloves I had forgotten about and probably never actually worn in (of all places) the glovebox of my car, and gleefully put them on. After taking a few shots, the chill started to set in despite my newfound gloves, so I decided to generate some heat and wake my muscles up with a little hike. I set off up the trail at a brisk pace, but was soon stopped by the need to photograph a partially frozen creek, with downed branches trailing intricate formations of icicles into the water. I moved on before my fingers could freeze, nearly jogging up the frozen trail.

The snow was exhilirating, still filtering down softly through the mostly-barren forest canopy as I hiked, my breath in cloudy puffs lingering in the crystalline air. The recent storms were evident - trees down every which-way, bright wooden cracks slicing into the black-and-white landscape like a rude reminder that the world really is in colour under all this snow and northwest winter-grey, as though the dark months here at the bottom of the calendar exist only in smudgy newsprint.

Snow is tricky - under the ethereal cloud cover, it both darkens and brightens the timbre of the scene. Photography-wise, details are hard to capture and colours nearly impossible. I hiked, fast and hard, until I broke a sweat, and then would stop when something caught my eye, or I needed to catch my breath. Click off a few frames...an old cedar tree down across the ravine; fern leaves on a rock, still green; evergreen branches across the path, then off again once I got cold. I repeated this until the grade got too steep for me to want to hike back down with the path coated in packed snow.

I made my way back down fast, running to keep warm, and still had to stop a few times to photograph things which I had not noticed from the opposite angle.

Back in the car, I let it warm back up before going anywhere, and thawed my fingers over the heater. The gloves had helped, for sure, but...it was still extremely cold out there.

I took nearly seventy pictures, and am still sorting through them. Most were a wash due to heavy snowfall, but there are a couple worthwhile ones. I will post them once I am done with the 'triage'.

New digital crack

Thu, 21 Dec 2006 17:55:16 GMT

Here's where I've been lately: http://www.orkut.com/

This should be interesting

Thu, 07 Dec 2006 01:36:27 GMT

Shamelessly kiped from Jeff, "The yearly first line of the month meme". Note - I am a sporadic poster, so where there were no LJ posts, I have imported a first-line from my Windows Live Space (if there was even one there).

January: I have achieved a weird state of apathy - a very delicate balance. I can feel my brain teetering on the edge of either plunging down the dark side and being miserable, or leaping off the angry side and being equally miserable.

February: I hate shopping malls

March: No posts

April: light stretches, time hurts

May: soft nights are warming

June: No posts

July: Since summer is now fully upon us and more than just I have been chomped upon by the camping bug, I feel compelled to pass along this serious caution

August: cool balance returns

September: Wow. Looking back through the "recent" entries listed here, the contrast between how things were and how things are becomes exaggerated and bright, like an over-exposed photograph.

October: At some point, I loaned my copy of Kevin Smith's Clerks on special-edition DVD to someone.

November: No, perhaps even yet there is not enough excitement in my life, because I have just stirred up some more.

December: I got robbed. There was aproximately a BUTTLOAD of snow on my roof, but I got zero icicles.

Thu, 07 Dec 2006 01:19:31 GMT

omg omg omg omg omg I have an informational tomorrow morning at 7:30am. Thankfully, I am a morning person, lol. Here's to hoping the job is as perfect for me as it sounds! omg omg omg omg omg omg

Excitement

Tue, 05 Dec 2006 05:19:13 GMT

OMG I am so excited!!! *bounce*

Thank you, that is all.

blog

Sun, 03 Dec 2006 10:23:20 GMT

Erik has a much better blog than I do. http://wiwille.blogspot.com/ Bookmark it.

tonight

Sat, 02 Dec 2006 21:13:25 GMT

http://www.infiniteconnections.org/shringara120206

Robbery

Sat, 02 Dec 2006 03:34:17 GMT

I got robbed. There was aproximately a BUTTLOAD of snow on my roof, but I got zero icicles. Last year I got a whole solid row of them. Now the snow is mostly gone, and, well, I was robbed.

I love icicles; they're one of winter's neatest phenomenons...especially the tiny ones that form in mud, making the ground stand up. That was always my favourite part of winter when I was a kid, in the Oregon wilderness - giant icicles, more like stalactites, hanging from the eaves of our porch. On school mornings I loved crunching through the popsicle dirt patches, leaving behind what looked like footprints of broken glass.

wow

Fri, 01 Dec 2006 00:20:36 GMT

Everyone go outside right now and face west. We are having a positively amazing sunset!

ROTFLMAO - thanks Launchpad!

Wed, 29 Nov 2006 01:37:04 GMT

Dear Santa...

Dear Santa,

This year I've been busy!

Last Friday I signed my organ donor card (28 points). In June I donated bone marrow to gorthok in a life-saving procedure (300 points). Last Monday I ruled Duluth, Minnesota as a cruel and heartless dictator (-700 points). Last week I pulled over and changed vespaskank's flat tire (15 points). Last Thursday I set oniya's puppy on fire (-66 points).

Overall, I've been naughty (-423 points). For Christmas I deserve a spanking!

Sincerely,
taaminara

urgh

Mon, 27 Nov 2006 00:06:05 GMT

Well, I was going to go somewhere and do something, but it's fucking snowing. It's snowing hard, too, and sticking. It wasn't doing this moments ago, and there's already a decent sprinkling of white over the landscape and rooftops. So, that settles my evening for me - I shall stay in, order food, and paint, lol

At least I avoided snow all the way down to Los Gatos and back - that would've really sucked. Now I absolutely cannot put off getting new tires any longer.

yoink

Sun, 19 Nov 2006 07:46:32 GMT

One.
Word.

No.
Explanations.

1. Yourself: intense
2. Your partner: unidentified
3. Your hair: envied
4. Your mother: OOF
5. Your father: MIA
6. Your favorite item: paint
7. Your dream last night: hectic
8. Your favorite drink: tea
9. Your dream car: paidfor
10. The room you are in: living
11. Your ex: Which?
12. Your fear: failure
13. What you want to be in 10 years? expatriated
14. Who you hung out with last night? everyone
15. What you're not? tired
16. Muffins: pumpkin
17. One of your wish list items: bed
18. Time: night
19. The last thing you did: partied
20. What you are wearing: usual
21. Your favorite weather: foggy
22. Your favorite book: DrawingBlood
23. The last thing you ate: turkey
24. Your life: exciting
25. Your mood: mellow
26. Your best friend: which?
27. What are you thinking about right now? pumpkin
28. Your car: dented
29. What are you doing at the moment? typing
30. Your summer: hot
31. Your relationship status: ideal
32. What is on your TV? speakers
33. What is the weather like? high
34. When is the last time you laughed? recently

FRIIIIIIIIIIIIDAY

Sat, 18 Nov 2006 12:03:46 GMT

So that was fun! I just got home. The evening started in Bellevue with shopping, and then The Crab Pot for dinner and drinks, and have plans for more partying later, so that should be fun! Whoot! But, everyone pooped out (Andrea being the only one with an excuse, haha, having to work at OMG o'clock in the morning) so I went down to Zaina by myself to hang out with my brother. Aside from the whole parking situation, I am glad that I went (I almost didn't) - I had fun, danced, smoked hookas (apparently the authorities turn a blind eye to their indoor smoking), and met royalty, lol

Plus, I love how things sometimes just seem to come together perfectly. I have been on a kindof hip-hop kick lately, and I don't have enough of it in my music collection to have satisfied the kick. I am left still craving. I particularly want more Eminem - I used to have all his albums, but they were lost. Plus I was thinking to myself damn, it has been a long time since I have heard anything new from Mr Slim Shady. I wonder dubya tee eff?. Not that I really pay attention. As Andrea and I were driving to Bellevue to meet up with Michelle, she played a new Eminem track. Well, maybe not all that new, but new to me anyway. Man, I thought, how did I miss this release? Apparently it came out like last year sometime. The last "new" album I had was The Eminem Show, which was back when I worked graveyards, so several years ago. My brother just so happens to have the album off which the song Andrea played comes (and it's a BADASS track which I must learn, lol). I wound up giving him a ride home, and he popped in the CD for me. When I dropped him off and went to give him the CD back, he said "No, that's all you - keep it!" Sooo. WHOOT I have the new Eminem album!! Ask and ye shall receive, lol

Let the games begin!

Sat, 18 Nov 2006 00:29:37 GMT

Ok so since I was cursed with a weekday birthday this year, and I wasn't even out of the country, there shall be reveling tonight! I am meeting Andrea in Bellevue later on this evening for drinks, and then I at least am heading out to Seattle to check out my little brother's DJ skillz at Zaina (downtown, Cherry Street, near the Asian Bistro). His set starts at 10pm, so there's plenty of time to imbibe alcohol before heading to the all-ages joint where there won't be any. Those interested in joining the festivities, contact me for details. Phone is on and charged, and I am signed into IM, so whatever your preferred pinging-medium is, there you go.

Ciao for niao!